Belt-shifter



F. G. KLECKLEH.

BELT SHIFTER. APPLICATION man Nov.14. 1919.

*1,354,405 Pmmdsept. 28,1920.

"1li" Y f2 BY www/@Mm Mmmm PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK Gr. KLECKLER, 0F BATH, NEW YORK.

BELT-SHIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 28, 1920,

Applcationrled November 14, 1919. Serial No. 337,964.

YTo all whom t may concern Be it known that l, FRANK Gr. KLEGKLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lath, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Belt-Shifters, of which the following is a specification.

`This invention relates to improvements in belt Shifters, and more particularly to a device of this character especiallyadapted for shifting a belt from step to step in either direction on cooperating cone-pulleys, and in which the actuation' of the device by manual means will shift the belt from a higher to a lower step on either pulley desired and immediately thereupon will automatically and yieldingly shift the belt upon the coperating pulley from a lower to a higher step, the resent invention being in the nature of an improvement upon that shown and described in my prior Patent No. 1,293,472, granted Feb. 4, 1919.

The main object of the present invention, like that of the device of my patent before referred to, is the provision of a device of this class especially adapted for easy and efficient shifting of a belt on cooperating cone-pulleys to increase or decrease the speed of rotation of the shaft of a machine tool; the manual actuation of the device, whether it be desired to increase or decrease speed, serving first positively to shift the belt a step downward on that one of the two pulleys having its lower steps in the desired direction of movement, and at the same time exerting the same degree of force atV the other pulley to shift the belt thereon. Supplementar-y accelerating means designed to hasten and quickly effect lshifting to the higher step on said second pulley will come into action immediately the belt has been dropped the desired Step on the first pulley, this means of operation producing a smooth, continuous movement ofthe belt without undue slacking thereof and consequent slown ing down of the machine, even where it is desired to change from the highest to the lowest speed, or the reverse, on a machine having pulleys of more than two steps'.

Another main object of the invention is the provision of improved means for eecting the supplementary or accelerating action by means of which a belt is moved toward 'and onto a higher step of a cone-pulley immediately after its movement from a higher lower to a higher step, said pressure being a gradually increasing one up to the completion of the shifting of the belt.

Another important feature is the provision of belt-engaging and directing loops on the accelerating means, these loops being pivoted on the outer ends of said arms and thereby adapted t rock on said'arms and keep their inclosing sides in parallelism with the moving belt at all angles of movement, thus allowing a steady and yielding pressure on the edges of the belt and preventing roughening or wearing of the belt material.

These and other important objects of the invention not hereinbefore referred to will be hereinafter described and claimed, and

Vare illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved deviee in cooperative relation with a pair of cone-pulleys, one on a driving shaft and the other on the shaft of a machine to be driven;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, and

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing on an enlarged scale the improved supplementary means for accelerating the movement of the belt from a lower to a higher step after completion of the shift on the coperating pulley.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken in line a-b, Fig. l. I

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates a portion of a lathe-head having upon its driven shaft a three-step cone-pulley, designated generally by 8, the steps being shown at 4, 5 and G. A belt 'T is here shown connecting the cone-pulley 3 with a cooperating sone-pulley 8, the steps of which are shown at 9, l0 and il, said pulley S being secured on a. countershaft l2, supported in hangers 13. Though the pulleys shown herein are of three steps, permitting but three speeds of the machine, it will of course be understood; that cone-pulleys of any number of steps may by means of my device have their belts shifted in either Clirection-ivitliequal ease and smoothness, and this Whetherbroad orV the lathe-head 2. Mounted to slide on'the rodll are threelateral arms 16,17 Vand 18, set-screws 19 being shown for'securing themv Vin any desired positions.

Pivoted on Vthe rigid lateral Varms-16, 17 and 18 are levers '20, 21 and V22, the former tvvoV being mainV shifting levers for the upper and loiverr4 pulleys respectiif'ely aiidl22 being a manuallyoperated lever for `actuating the belt-shifti ing levers 20 and 21. rllhelateral arms'lG,

17' and 18 are herein shown as provided With bolt-openings 23 adapted to cooperate With bolt-openings 24 in the -levers'20, 21 and 22,-

to permit adjustment ofl said levers for any l required length of throw' Yof the belt-shifting y devices. As here shown the lever 2() is'pivoted at 25 on Vthe rigid arm 16, While the lever 21 is pivoted on the arm 18 vat 26. The manual operatingilever 22has its vfulcrum 'at 27 oiivthe arm 17, and has a pivoted connec-v tion, herein designated. generally by' 28, the lever 22 being shown as provided with. opposite heads 50 pivoted. thereto coaxially.

VThese headsy are provided With bolt openA` ings therethrough for receiving the thread- Y ed ends of suitable bolts 51 which are rigidly secured thereto by nuts 52't0 enable'them to be adjustechthe free ends of said bolts being pivotally connected by rivets 53 to the respective levers 20 and 21 at points substantiall Vcoincident with their points of inter- Y Y i section so thativhen the lever 22 is operated I and'21 Vsimultaneously'in the saine direction.

after the belt has been shifted on the co-V v`Ioperating pulley Y,froma higher to a lower step, l have shoivn herein toothed auxiliary members 29 and 30, pivoted to the outer-ends of the shiftinglevei's 20 and 21 Vat 31 and 32, the gear-teeth being designatedy by Y30.

lWeighted Varms 33 and 34l,lpivotedV on the` levers 20" and 21 at 35 and 36, and having gear-teeth. 33 and 34 on their inner ends meshing with the teeth 30 of the arms 29 and 30,` are-so disposed as to exert a predetermined accelerating pull on said armsrto direct and move a belt to a higher step when said belt has been shifted on the kother pulley one step. lower. K This accelerating pull is a variable one, increasing gradually as the Aforce exerted by the main operating lever increases, andreachingits maximum with the y Weighted arm Vat a right angle to sai'd-actui atinglever when said belt is being moved onto the higher step. VThen this shift has been accomplished theY Weighted arm returns toV its inoperative position` in line'with the main lever. f As here Ashown each of the ,Weighted toothed arms 33 and 34 has a flange 37 on which a Weight 38 moves, said Weight being gi'ooved atV 39 and adapted to move alongthe! Guide 37=to `vary :as desired the pull exerted.V Set-screws .110 are shown for holding' said .Weights' any desired positions on the arms 29 and 30, and stops 4:1 on the ends of said arms-prevent the Weights fro-mbecoming detached V`from the arms.

Theipivoted or lever sections V29 and 30 and their actuating meshing arms 33 and 34. are so positioned and lWeighted asv to permit movement of the arms 29 and 30 from their inactive position in line with the main operating-lever to a positionin VWhich they exert `their greatest force on the belt, the meshing arms and 3d-at that time being at right angles tothe respective mainlevers 20 and 21'for maximum thrust on the belt toV nieve it from a lower to ahigher step. The belt-encircling loops or sleeves 42 and 43 are 'pi-voted ontheloiver ends of the arms 29 and 30 to permit rocking of saidv loops to ac-V commodate their positions to that ofthe belt at all times. rllhis assures perfectly free movement ofthe belt Within the loops' inail positions and prevents friction and Wear on the belt edges.

Theaction oftheimechanism is asfolloivs: The belt being on the pulleys 5 and 10 for vintermediate'speed andit being desired to raise to the next higher speed, the-inan-V 'iiai lever 22 is moved to the left, this action resulting'iny the operation Yor" the shifting-levers 2O and 2'1 and putting a pull on n Y the belt neareachV pulley that tends tomove motion will be transmitted to both levers 20 said belt tothe left at'both pulleys. The force exerted on the lever 21 serving to hold Vthe accelerating' arm 30 rigid and in line with. its' mainlever 21, the belt is slid oil' the pulley 5 and onto the pulley 6. Coincildent'ly. the forceV exerted on the lever 2O tends to lunship the belt and force it from the face 10Y to thenext higher face 11. rEhis beingimliiossible untill the completion ofmovenient from 5 to plthe arm 29 is kept temporarily' in line with the face 10 though lthe main liever'20 has Vniovedt'o exert force toY setV theV belt tothe next step. lThe' resultis the gradual actuation of the Weighted` arm 23 'to its active or pulling position with respect to saidmain leveigfivhereinit. tends to'forc'e the belt to the face 11, and said belt thereupon begins its movement onto the face 11"-said Weighted arm having'no'vv reached .the `position for exerting Vits maximum force-and' completes its Ymovement thereto immediately after theliinshipping of thelotver endbfthe beltV fromthe faceV 5.

`With the belt running on the desired faces. l

6 andi'1'1, the lever'29rh'as arrived at the position shown in dotted lines at 29 and its weighted arm has moved to the positionV shown in dotted lines at 33, these being their inactive positions, in which they exert no accelerating force on the belt. It will be clear that if a change is again desired from this high speed to a lower speed the manual level will be pulled to the right to carry the upper end of the belt onto the face 1G, causing lever 21 to tend to shift the lower run of the belt from 6 to 5, the higher step on the pulley preventing this until the actual drop of the belt to the lower face on upper pulley. The weighted arm 34 is now forced outward and immediately upon completion of unshipping at the upper pulley moves the belt onto the face 6, as. desired, the sleeve 43 at all times having its sides parallel with the edges of the belt, thus assuring smooth movement of the belt therein and preventing wear on they belt material.

W hat l claim is:

1. The combination with a pair of conepulleys, of a belt connecting said pulleys, aV

belt-shifting lever for each of said pulleys, a manually-operated lever for actuating said belt-shifting levers, a supplementary beltshifting member pivoted on each of said main shifting levers and having gear-teeth near its pivot, and a weighted arm pivoted on each main shifting lever and having gear-teeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of said supplementary member to actuate said member and shift the belt to a higher step after the actuating lever has shifted the belt to a lower step on the other pulley.

2. The combination with a pair of conepulleys, of a belt connecting said pulleys, a belt-shifting lever for each of said pulleys, a manually-operated lever for actuating said belt-shifting levers, a supplementary beltshifting member pivoted on each of said main shifting levers and having gear-teeth near its pivot, and a weighted arm pivoted on each main shifting lever and having gearteeth adapted to mesh with the teeth of fsaid supplementary member to actuate said member and shift the belt to a higher step after the actuating lever has shifted the belt to a lower step on the other pulley, said weighted arm having movable weights slidable toward and away from said geared connection to lessen or increase the force exerted to shift the belt.

3. The combination with a pair of conepulleys, of a belt connecting said pulleys, a belt-shifting lever foreach of said pulleys, a manually-actuated lever for controlling said belt-shifting levers, a supplementary belt-shifting member pivoted on each of said Y after the actuating lever has shifted the belt to a lower step on the other pulley, said weighted arm having movable weights slidable toward and away from said geared connection to lessen or increase the force exerted to shift the belt, and a belt-inclosing sleeve pivoted on the outer end of each supplementary Vbelt-shifting member and adapted to yieldingly incloseand direct said belt in all its positions.

Signed at Savona, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, this 29th day of October, A. D. 1919.

FRANK G. KLECKLER. l/Vitnesses:

J. F. SriNsoN,

l?. J. BUCKMASTER. 

